Leaked: US and UA in merger talks for over a month

[Coffee_Tea_Or_Me]

Parker to Kirby: "Come on Scott, we need more dots in Europe. I don't care if they're profitable."

Typical AArogance.

So well said. If AA took widebodies off of domestic flying like CO and DL did, they could double their operation over night. AA does everything right, including stapling their TWA flying partners to the bottom and treating them like dirt.

AA is so great and so untouchable, yet has more debt than any other airline and has larger losses. What comes around goes around, and I think AA is about to receive its just desserts. A bAAnkrutpcy and contract gouging would do well to taper and humble the AArogance. The US employees are not fooled by management rhetoric and are not drunk on company kool-AAid. When AA files bAAnkruptcy and US makes a hostile takeover bid and this one goes through, I will laugh and laugh. And, the people at US would welcome their AA flying partners with open arms and DOH seniority.

 

[bigbusboy]

1. Why would anyone need a SE hub in order to compete with a combined airline that we are competing against quite well thank you very much against both airlines separately today? Our flights to/from CLT are always full. And, since CLT is not a restricted airport, we could add additional flights if we so desired. It's not an equipment and manpower issue. We have plenty of a/c sitting in the desert and lord knows we still have a number of pilots and f/as on furlough. As far as CLT's Caribbean traffic, that would be in direct competition with our existing hub in MIA.

DL/NW will be a new beast to compete with. Their combined operation will generate alot more traffic up and down the east coast. Don't think of CLT as a destination for AA with full flights. Think of CLT as an established hub and what it generates in terms of traffic.....just like ATL. To match DLs revenue from its hub in ATL, AA will need more than just more gates and flights in CLT. You make good points and I agree with some of them. But I think what you really did is prove why UA would be a better fit for US than AA. In fact, AA management said last week that bankruptcy might be a real possibility by the end of the year if their access to financial markets contiues to deteriorate. For your sake I hope that never happens...it's gonna hurt if it does.

 

[Coffee_Tea_Or_Me]

Don't forget -- the DL/NW merger will have two hubs in the SE -- Memphis and Atlanta.

 

[robbedagain]

I have to wonder if the MEM hub would be reduced may be to the likes of PIT or CVG As to US/AS/HA/F9/NK I wonder how that would go

 

[USstew23]

Good point. Why are people including most analysts overlooking this? The drivers for this new round of mergers are how to remove a competitor and how to compete against NW/DL. Not who will bring the most to the table.

Because it gives them a reason to run their mouth and keep their name in the spotlight!

 

[Coffee_Tea_Or_Me]

I have to wonder if the MEM hub would be reduced may be to the likes of PIT or CVG As to US/AS/HA/F9/NK I wonder how that would go

Who knows. It is not large by any means, but it is the third largest hub in the SE. So, DL will have two out of the three hubs in the SE. I was just making a point that the SE is growing and is a good spot for an airline hub. Who knew Charlotte would be such a mega banking center, or that Atlanta would become a city known around the world? Charlotte is really the only realistic hub option in the SE, and its money and support from Bank of America and Wachovia only help increase the presence. B of A and Wachovia are US Airways supporters because of the CLT presence. I think CLT is more attractive as a hub than people are giving it credit. US has a ton of airplanes on order, too, something that other carriers do not have. I think US is more attractive than people think. You can merge with US, repaint the planes, refurbish the planes, and redress the employees, and people will have forgotten about the operational troubles and PR nightmares.

With UA (or even AA -- I take back the hostile takeover thing, but some AAers get me peeved) combining with US, I think it would be a powerhouse operation.

 

[USstew23]

Robbed,

Or how about a US/AS/HA/F9/NK combination and become the domestic powerhouse for feed to a growing international operation.


But what a mess for seniority integration!

Well they're all AFA (as far as the F/A's go) except for F9, IIRC so it would just be DOH on that front. As far as the pilots go, oh jesus, the pilot's unions just need to have specific language in their C&B's and be done with it.

 

[FutureUScapt]

Don't forget -- the DL/NW merger will have two hubs in the SE -- Memphis and Atlanta.

Or so they say... I don't see any reason for keeping MEM around as a hub, just continue to fly to the large O&D markets and route the smaller cities through ATL, as they all pretty much have service to ATL already anyways

 

[EMBFA]

Isn't USAir/US Airways living proof that taping together a bunch of regional airlines does not make for a strong major airline?

Enough already. Absorb the important business routes and one valuable hub into a major that can support the costs, and ditch the rest.

 

[jimntx]

Careful now. You are teetering on the brink of the "put the thng to sleep by taking the profitable routes and discarding the rest (including the employees) heresy."

 

[Baja4U]

Isn't USAir/US Airways living proof that taping together a bunch of regional airlines does not make for a strong major airline?

Enough already. Absorb the important business routes and one valuable hub into a major that can support the costs, and ditch the rest.

DON'T BE SO SURE, inside source tell's me US/UA DONE deal!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, April!!!!!!

 

[FlightChic]

DON'T BE SO SURE, inside source tell's me US/UA DONE deal!!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, April!!!!!!

LOL! So, who's the inside source? As much as I would love for US/UA to be a done deal, until DP says we are officially merging with UA, it's just a rumor, a rumor that has been around since I was in new hire training before the first merger attempt. I wish it would happen, but I won't believe it until I see it with my own eyes.

 

[Travelpro72]

FlightChic....girl you are absolutely correct. All we see is speculating. This airlines takes this part of a company paired with this route blah, blah, blah.... Everyone is "in the know" and so many want to see their company succeed while another's falls. It's weird. We absolutely DETEST this management but will back them as soon as someone says something derogatory from another cAArier. I personally HOPE for the US/UA merger myself. If that makes me a pipe dreamer in the eyes of employees at other airlines TOUGH. I just can't STAND the anticipation.

 

[Bulldog63]

So well said. If AA took widebodies off of domestic flying like CO and DL did, they could double their operation over night. AA does everything right, including stapling their TWA flying partners to the bottom and treating them like dirt.

AA is so great and so untouchable, yet has more debt than any other airline and has larger losses. What comes around goes around, and I think AA is about to receive its just desserts. A bAAnkrutpcy and contract gouging would do well to taper and humble the AArogance. The US employees are not fooled by management rhetoric and are not drunk on company kool-AAid. When AA files bAAnkruptcy and US makes a hostile takeover bid and this one goes through, I will laugh and laugh. And, the people at US would welcome their AA flying partners with open arms and DOH seniority.

Coffee_Tea_Or_Me:
Where would those widebodies come from? The only widebodies used on domestic travel are the 767-200 which are no longer ETOPS, they are used specifically in the JFK-LAX/SFO markets. I'll be the first to cast stones at AA, as the management team knows very little about customer service. However, AA may have more debt than any others, but could that be because they didn't make 1 or more trips to bankruptcy court or dump their pensions on the PBGC. Talk about contract gouging didn't US East and the AFA lead the way with concessionary agreements. You really thing AA employees drink the kool-aid remember we voted NO in 2003 against the concessions until John Ward decided to play his games. So you would have a good laugh at our expense, good for you. Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I would hate to see anyone lose their job, I guess that makes me a little more human than you.

 

[aredeeyou22]

I guess that makes me a little more human than you.

After what happened to the TWA FA's, I would venture to say less human. But hey, that's just my opinion....